Can’t put six week old down for sleep day or night

[ExcitingTimes2023]

I haven’t been able to put my 6 week old down for sleep, day or night, for about 2 weeks. As soon as I get him down within 15 mins max he is wide awake again. I have a toddler to care for. This is not sustainable. My first was an awful sleeper and I’m getting flashbacks about how awful my life was for at least 18months with no sleep. I prayed and prayed for a good sleeper but if anything so far he is worse then my first. It doesn’t matter how long I hold him for to make sure he is in a deep sleep, he will wake up once he is put down. I was getting 3 hours at one point and I thought this is great, 3 hours to build on, but no I’m now getting zero stretches. Not even an hour, not even 20 mins.

I promised myself I wasn’t going to obsess over sleep this time round, but that is impossible when I’m literally getting none! I promised myself I was just going to roll with it and just take what ever sleep I could get, but the thing is, I’m not getting any.

Why is he waking up as soon as I put him down? Reassuring in the crib doesn’t work, swaddling makes no difference, putting him down awake deffinately doesn’t work. Day naps are now all done in the sling, pram or car seat. At night I just hold him, try to transfer, he wakes up, repeat. All night long x

Bless you, I’ve been there/kind of still am! My DD will just not sleep in her own bed, we tried absolutely everything you could imagine and at most got a 90 minute stretch!

Honestly, I’ve given up now and my mental health and sleep has improve (a bit!) It’s not for everyone and controversial but there are safe chest sleeping guides you can find, especially co-sleepy on instagram. I didn’t feel comfortable doing this until recently (she’s almost 6 months now) but it’s the only way we can both get sleep. Before I was up and down and only getting 10-30 minutes before she woke up so it was stressing us both out. We’re also now in a regression AND teething 💀

Less extreme is looking into safe co sleeping, will they let you place them on the bed? Mine never did!

Understand the above isn’t for everyone so some other things you could try -
Warm the cot before transfer
Put a used worn top of yours down in cot
Test arms are floppy so in deep sleep before putting down
Place on side first the slowly roll onto back - this can stop them startling awake

Good luck! I’m hoping my DD just grows out of it, she’s already stating to prefer sleeping across legs for naps and seems to be less comfy on us now so hopefully have our bed back soon 😂

As above, co-sleepy on Instagram is brilliant.
My second was even worse than my first. I had to chest sleep with him for the first month or so and then we could-slept.
All naps were in the sling, he hated car or pram. He started getting better in the car around 4-6 months and same with buggy. He'll fall asleep anywhere now (with movement) and he's 11 months old.
The first few months are always so tough especially when you have another child.
DD was 17 months old when DS was born and it was torture.
Now she's nearly 2.5 and he's almost 1, it's getting so much better.

Does he cry a lot of just wakes up happy? It could be reflux that's waking him. I have a 1yo so this hell hasn't stopped. We have resorted to sleep training because we are done and sick of it. Best advice would be to sleep train at 4-5m. This is when the regression happens and a new sleep cycle is added- regret not doing it then. I know it's hard to have a routine when you have another child. Have you tried a sound machine?

Have you tried different kinds of swaddles, maybe the love to dream arms up swaddles if he doesn’t like arms down. Also have you ruled out a medical reason like silent reflux or something like that that could be waking him up?

It’s such a difficult stage when it’s all trial and error to see what might work, you have my sympathies but you will get there and it will get easier.